08 Jan 2026Use of the HMRC app surged last year as millions of users downloaded it for the first time, according to the tax authority's figures. HMRC says the app was downloaded 4.2 million last year and people logged in to the app 136 million times, a 20% increase on 2024, reflecting growing confidence in managing tax digitally. Total annual app users have now surpassed 7.18 million, up from 5.09 million the previous calendar year. There has also been significant growth from older and retired users, especially checking State Pension forecasts. Other areas that saw growth were Child Benefit and National Insurance (NI). Almost 960,000 people used the Child Benefit area of the app in 2025 - 160,000 more than in 2024. In addition, 383,000 people stored their NI number on the app during 2025, 70,000 more than the previous year. HMRC says the rise in app use this year reflects its ambition to make it easier for customers to self-serve on straightforward tasks. Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's Chief Customer Officer, said: 'The HMRC app has become one of the quickest and easiest ways to check your tax affairs and we've seen even more customers embrace it this year. If you choose to use the app you can access the information you need straight through your phone.'